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Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

‘Here we are,’ says Jack. ‘Eight of the finest. Show your dad, Evan.’ Evan reaches into the front pocket of his hoody and one at a time, brings out the eggs they have found, ivory white and buff brown. ‘He’s got a nose for them. I only found three yesterday. If that’s fresh tea, I’ll have a cup, and I’ll take one up to your mother. She should be awake by now.’

Evan sits down at the table and begins to play with the eggs, lining them up by size, rolling them as if to understand their physics.

‘How shall we cook them?’ asks Jack. ‘The world’s our oyster. Scrambled, boiled, poached or fried?’ He’s on his way to the fridge to get milk for the tea, and without thinking, he reaches out and ruffles Evan’s hair.

But Evan doesn’t seem to mind.

Dora is still sleeping. Jack places a flowered cup with a single digestive biscuit in its saucer on the bedside table, and opens the curtains. The room floods with the brilliance of summer light, and Dora stirs. Jack crosses to the bed and bends down to kiss her forehead.

‘Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.’

Dora opens her eyes, but he doesn’t see the smile he usually gets when she wakes. Instead, she’s frowning, and under the blankets he can see her hand move to her stomach.

‘Are you all right, my darling?’

‘I’ve got a bit of a pain,’ she says. ‘Do you think you could pass my pills?’

Awkwardly, she sits up, leaning forward so Jack can put an extra pillow at her back. The blister-pack of medication is on the dressing table, and he presses out two, passing them to Dora with a glass of water.

‘It’s a beautiful day,’ he says. ‘Evan and I have been collecting eggs.’

‘That’s nice,’ she says, and swallows the tablets. ‘Any luck?’

‘We found eight. So it’s eggs for breakfast. Scrambled or boiled?’

Dora smiles.

‘I think I’ll stick to toast,’ she says. ‘How did he seem?’

‘He seems to be relaxing, but I didn’t get a peep out of him. Maybe he needs a little nudge.’

‘Oh, Jack, don’t be impatient. He’ll come round when he’s ready.’

‘Maybe. Shall I leave you to get dressed?’

‘You can leave me to drink my tea, and I’ll get up, by and by. But I feel like being lazy this morning. I might read for a little while.’

‘If you’re tired, my love, just stay where you are. Would you like marmalade on your toast?’

‘A dab of honey would be lovely. And Jack, don’t you be thinking about putting any pressure on that boy.’

‘Don’t worry,’ says Jack. ‘I won’t.’

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-THREE

15 August